Denmark's King changes coat of arms after Trump's remarks
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King Frederik X of Denmark has made a high-profile decision to change the royal coat of arms. In particular, he made the symbols of Greenland and the Faroe Islands more prominent. This decision surprised some historians and was seen as an indirect rebuke to former US President Donald Trump for his attempts to acquire Greenland.
This was reported by The Guardian.
The King of Denmark changed the country's coat of arms
After the resignation of Queen Margrethe at the end of 2023, Frederik X took the throne and made it clear that his priority was to preserve the autonomous territories within the Kingdom of Denmark.
The previous coat of arms for 500 years included three crowns, a symbol of the Kalmar Union. Instead, the coat of arms now features a polar bear and a ram, symbolizing Greenland and the Faroe Islands, respectively.
The Royal House explained that the three crowns are no longer relevant, and the new coat of arms should emphasize the authority and unity of the Danish commonwealth.
Donald Trump puts pressure on Denmark
New US President Trump reiterated last month that he wants the US to buy Greenland, and Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede recently accused Denmark of genocide in response to an investigation into a forced contraception scandal from the 1960s and 70s.
In his own New Year's address, Egede intensified calls for Greenland's independence and called for the "shackles of the colonial era" to be removed.
"We are all united and each of us is committed to the Kingdom of Denmark. From the Danish minority in South Schleswig - which is even outside the kingdom - to Greenland. We belong to each other," said King Frederik X of Denmark in his New Year's address.
Changing the coat of arms is a sensation
Historians call the change of the coat of arms a historical sensation. Dick Harrison, a professor at the University of Lund, emphasized that the symbol of the three crowns has gone through many important stages in Danish history. He considers its removal to be an important political step. Since 1819, the royal coat of arms has been changed three times: in 1903, 1948 and 1972. But the latest changes have caused a shock in some circles.
In late December, Donald Trump publicly expressed his desire to buy Greenland. As a result, Denmark has allocated record funds for defense.
Pilitico also made a forecast of unlikely events that could occur in 2025.
